Penumbra has expanded its computer-assisted vacuum thrombectomy (CAVT) portfolio with Lightning Bolt® 12 and Lightning Bolt 6X with TraX™, the latest additions to its CAVT platforms launched in 2020.
The new systems are designed to expedite the blood clot removal process and potentially avoid open surgery or thrombolysis in conditions such as acute limb ischemia (ALI), venous thrombus and pulmonary embolism.
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They join Lightning® Flash 2.0, Lightning Bolt® 7, Lightning® 12, Lightning® 7 and CAT™ 7D, and both incorporate Dual Clot Detection Algorithms and Lightning Bolt Aspiration Tubing.
Lightning Bolt 12 features and specifications
Lightning Bolt® 12 is designed for venous thromboembolism and is suitable for the upper extremity, portal veins and large arterial thrombus to quickly remove the clot and restore flow.
The system is compatible with a 12 F sheath and supports a 0.014–0.038in wire platform. It runs Bolt 2.0 software featuring Dual Clot Detection Algorithms with increased modulation for large thrombus loads and is three-times faster than Lightning 12 with Separator™ 12.1.
The device incorporates MaxID catheter technology, with a maximised inner diameter, minimised outer diameter and an atraumatic laser-cut hypotube design, along with an automatic backflush design to streamline aspiration.
Compared with the Indigo System Lightning Bolt 7, its Lightning Bolt Aspiration Tubing has a 22% larger tubing size.
Tip options include HTORQ and XTORQ for circumferential sweep, with working lengths of 100cm for both tip types and an additional 115cm option for HTORQ.
Lightning Bolt 6X with TraX: features and specifications
The Lightning Bolt® 6X with TraX™ is designed to target thrombi below the knee and smaller vessels.
The system is compatible with a 6 F sheath and a 0.014in wire platform. It features Penumbra’s TraX™ arterial-designed dilator for accurate vessel navigation, and a CAT6X catheter that employs advanced coil wound technology and a hydrophilic coating to minimise friction.
Straight tip lengths are available at 132cm and 150cm. In Bolt Mode, Lightning Bolt 6X is five-times faster than CAT6 with Separator™ 6.
Penumbra announced a new 150cm catheter length option in September 2025.
Clinical trials on Lightning Bolt CAVT technology
In May 2025, Penumbra announced the STRIDE II trial, designed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of its Lightning Bolt CAVT technology for lower extremity ALI.
The study, which aims to enrol up to 300 adults across approximately 50 international sites, will include a wider range of vessel locations (iliac arteries and below), and will follow subjects for six months post-procedure.
STRIDE II builds on the first STRIDE trial, an international, prospective, multi-centre, single-arm study that evaluated Penumbra’s Indigo® Aspiration System, including CAVT technology.
In STRIDE I, Lightning devices were used in 43.7% of cases, and the study reported a 98.2% 30-day limb salvage rate, 3.4% mortality, and low rates of adverse events and bleeding.
Penumbra’s CAVT portfolio outlook
With the addition of Lightning Bolt® 12 and Lightning Bolt 6X with TraX™, Penumbra broadens its CAVT coverage from large arterial and venous beds to below-the-knee and smaller vessels, while standardising core technologies such as Dual Clot Detection and aspiration tubing across the portfolio.
The forthcoming STRIDE II data set is positioned to clarify real-world performance across a wider range of vessel territories and may guide adoption alongside the company’s existing Lightning® Flash and Indigo platforms.